Fruit and vegetable carton



CHUNG C. WEI

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CARTON Aug. 4, l1970 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 25, 1968 NVENTOR. CHUNG C. WE/

Aug.-4,f1970 CHUNG c. WEI 3,522,905

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CARTON CHUNG C. WEI

TORNEY U.S. Cl. 229-33 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The carton of this invention is a unitary carton provided with two covers hingedly connected to the end walls of the body of the carton and closed inwardly over two partitions located in spaced relation centrally of the side walls of the carton body, such partitions constituting the inner end walls of twro divisible cartons forming such unitary carton, said covers each having an end flap insertable into the space between the partitions, and the portions of the side walls and bottom wall of the carton body between the partitions being severable to transform the unitary carton into two separate complete cartons.

This invention relates to paper boxes and more particularly to an improved carton possessing certain advantages over kown types of cartons for packing fruit and vegetables.

The carton of this invention is of especial advantage yin the shipment of bananas from the country in which they are grown to other countries as hands separated from the stems thereof. It is the custom of different countries to import such hands of bananas in ventilated cardboard boxes at certain weights. Thus, importers of the United States -of America usually import the hands of bananas in about forty pound lots, whereas, the importers in European countries usually buy the bananas in about twenty-live pound lots. This heretofore necessitated that the exporter carry in stock cartons of different sizes to satisfy the requirements of the different countries to which the bananas are shipped.

It is the primary purpose of the present invention to provide an improved carton capable of shipping fruit and vegetables in the larger quantities required by certain types of trade, and yet being readily adaptable to the shipment of such products in smaller quantities customary with other types of trade.

In my patent application Ser. No. 664,569, tiled Aug. 30, 1967, there is shown a fruit and vegetable carton designed to accomplish the aforesaid purpose. While the carton disclosed in such application has proved very satisfactory for the purpose intended, I have found that substantial savings in material and labor can be accomplished by improvements in its design. These features of novelty as well as the advantages thereof can best be understood from a consideration of the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a carton embodying the invention in opened condition, the front side wall of the carton being partially broken away to show the construction of the bottom wall more clearly;

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing the carton closed;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a cardboard blank from which the body of the carton may be formed;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of one of the two cardboard partition blanks; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of one of two cardboard covers when made separately from the body of the carton.

In the drawings, the numerals and 11 designate the side walls of the carton, and the numerals 12 and 13 the yUnited States Patent O 3,522,905 Patented Aug. 4, 1970 lCe end walls of the carton. The bottom wall of the carton is formed of four pieces or panels designated 14, 15, 16 and 17. It will be observed in FIG. 3 of the drawings that the aforesaid walls and bottom pieces are formed from a single piece of cardboard. The end walls 12 and 13 and the side walls 10 and 11 are arranged in aligned alternate relation to form one row in the cardboard blank and are separated from each other by suitable creases formed in the blank. The bottom pieces 14-17 also form a row in the blank and are hingedly connected to the bottom edges of the walls 12, 10, 13 and 11, respectively, by suitable creases formed in the blank. The bottom pieces are separated from each other by slots 18 extending to the bottom edges of the side and end walls. Also aligned with the side end walls, is a flap 19, hingedly.

connected to the outer side edge of end wall 12 by a suitable crease formed in the blank, and secured against the inner surface of the outer side edge portion of side wall 11 by a vertical row of fasteners 20 in FIGS. 1 and 2 to form the body of the carton. The cardboard is preferably of the type in which a central corrugated layer of paper material is sandwiched between two plain layers of such paper material to provide relatively stiff paper board. The paper board is cut so that the corrugations in the board run in the direction indicated by the line 21 to provide vertical ridges in all of the side and end walls and to provide transverse ridges in the bottom pieces. The side and end walls are provided with ventilation openings 22 which are preferably symmetrically arranged with respect to a vertical median plane through the carton,

It will be understood that in forming the body of the box from the cardboard blank composed of the parts above described, the blank will be bent along the creases between the side and end walls to bring the two side walls 10, 11 into opposed relation and the end walls 12, 13 into opposed relation and the ilap 19 into engagement with the interior surface of the outer or free side of side wall 11. As the walls are so folded into position, the two bottom pieces 14 and 16 are moved into position over the bottom pieces 15 and 17. The 'bottom pieces 15 and 17 connected to the side walls 10 and 11, respectively, thus form the longitudinal bottom layers of the bottom wall and the overlapping bottom pieces 14 and 16 connected to the end walls 12 and 13, respectively, form the transverse layers of the bottom wall. It will be noted that the combined length of the two bottom pieces 15 and 17 is less than the width of the box and that the length of each bottom piece is less then one half the length of the box so that an elongated `opening 23 in FIG. 1 is formed by such pieces in the bottom wall of the box. If the aforesaid parts are all of the parts to be included in the body of the box, the ange 19 is secured to the side wall 11 by a vertical row of staples 20 and the bottom pieces are secured together by additional staples, such as the staples 23, 24 shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

The carton is divided at its center by two transverse partitions 25, 26, in FIG. l, cut from a piece of stiff paper board similar to that in the body blank so that the corrugations in the board run vertically to provide vertical strengthening ridges. As is shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings which is an illustration of partition 25, each of the two partitions is provided with end aps 27, 27 and with a bottom flap 2S. The partitions 25, 26 are positioned in spaced relation in the central portion of the carton with the aps 27 and 28 thereof disposed toward the end walls 12, 13 of the carton. The end aps 27 of the two partitions overlie the interior surfaces of the side walls 10, 11 and each is secured to a side wall by a plurality of vertically disposed staples 29. The bottom flaps 28 of the two partitions overlie and are secured to the bottom pieces 15, 17 by the staples 23. It will be noted from FIG. 1 of the drawings that the bottom flaps 28 extend over and divide the bottom opening 23 into two ventilation openings, one in each side of the partitions 25, 26.

It will be noted also from FIG. l of the drawings, that the partitions 25, 26 are in spaced relation and that the arrangement of flaps thereof is such that partition 25, end wall 12 and the associated halves of the side walls 10 and 11 form one complete separate container body, and

that partition 26, end wall 13 and the associated otherV halves of the side 'walls 16 and 11 form another complete container body. The two container bodies are integrally connected together by the portions of the side walls 10 and 11, and the bottom wall pieces 15, 17 between the two partitions 25, 26. The bottom opening 23 is uncovered between the two partitions so that air can circulate up through the bottom of the container, between the partitions 25, 26 and through the openings 30 provided in such partitions.

In the aforesaid construction, the covers for the two container bodies may be made of two separate pieces of stiff paper board and connected by staples to the upper edge portions of the end walls 12 and 13 of such bodies. As is shown in FIG. of the drawings, each of such covers is composed of a central covering portion 35 having ventilation openings 34 and having integrally connected to its bottom edge a flap 36 by which the cover is connected to its associated end wall. 'Ille remaining edges of the portion 35 have integrally connected thereto a top flap 37 and side flaps 38, 38, each of which is provided with centrally located longitudinally extending creases 39 enabling it to be folded along its length. The inner half portion of the top flap 37 is provided at its ends with flap extensions 40, 40 which in the assembled cover are located `between the adjacent folded end portions of the two side flaps 38, 38. It will thus be understood that in the completed condition of each cover, the flaps 37 and 38 will be disposed inwardly in folded condition at right angles to the central portion 35 thereof and with the flap extensions 40, 40 located between the folded halves of the flaps 38, 38. The flaps will be permanently secured in this condition -by suitable fasteners, such as the staples 41 shown in the covers illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

Instead of making the covers of separate pieces of cardboard, such covers, as is shown in FIGS. 1-3, may Ibe made integral with the end walls 12 and 13. Inasmuch as the covers of FIGS. 1-3 are substantially similar in construction to the cover shown in FIG. 5 except for the additional attachment flap 36 provided in the latter, the corresponding parts thereof have been given like reference numerals.

It will be noted from a comparison of FIGS. 1 and 2, that in their closed condition on the carton body, the side flaps or flanges 38 of the covers overlie the upper edges of the side walls and 11 of such body, and the top flaps or flanges 37 of the covers are received in the space between the partitions 25, 26 and extend through slots 43 provided in the central portions of the edges of the side walls 10 and 11 of the body. The partitions 25 and 26 are preferred spaced apart a distance equal to the combined thickness of the two top flanges 37 of the covers so that such flanges will t snugly therebetween. Further, the vertical edges of each of the slots 43 are spaced apart a distance substantially the same as the spacing between the partitions 25, 26 so that such top flanges will snugly fit therein and will remain therein until positively removed therefrom. The upper ends of the side edges of the slots 43 are beveled to facilitate the insertion of the cover flanges 37 into such slots, and such slots have a depth approximately equal to the width of such cover flanges 37 so that the latter can be fully inserted therein.

When the covers are made integrally with the end walls 12 and 13, there may be additionally provided in the blank for making the `body of the carton, a plurality of flaps to increase the strength of such body and to seal the upper edges of the side walls of the box against the entry of moisture into the corrugated structure of such side walls. As is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings, these additional flaps may comprise a pair of flaps 45, 45 integrally connected to the top edge of the side walls 10 and hingedly connected thereto by means of a crease line 46 formed in the cardboard material. The two flaps 45, 45 are separated by a slot 47 of a width substantially equal to the width of the slot 43, i.e., substantially equal to the space between the partitions 25, 26. It will be noted that the two flaps 45, 45 are located between the t'wo covers 35, 35 and adjacent vto the top edge of the Side wall 10 are formed out of cardboard material which would otherwise be included in the adjacent side flanges 38 of such covers so that the widths of such flaps along their lines of juncture with the side wall 10 is the same as the entire length of such side wall minus the Width of the slot 43. Thus, when the flaps 45, 45 are folded in over the interior surfaces of the side wall 10, they will rigidify the upper edge thereof for substantially its whole length and if the paper material of such wall is cut instead of creased along the line 46, they will seal the interior of such edges against moisture. The flaps 45, 45 have a length greater than the height of the side wall 10 and at a distance from the crease line 46 equal to such height, they are provided with crease lines 48, 48 along 'which such flaps may be bent to form flap portions 49, 49 which overlie and rigidify the bottom of the carton as is shown in FIG. l of the drawings. The flaps 45, 45 are secured to the side wall 10 by the staples 29 and the portions 49, 49 thereof are secured to the bottom pieces 14, 15 and 16 by the staples 24. The flaps 45, 45 are provided with ventilation openings which are similar in configuration to and come into registration with the openings 22 in side wall 10 in the assembled condition of the parts.

The side wall 11 has also hingedly secured thereto a pair of flaps 55, 56. Flap 55 is similar in all respects to the left hand flap 45, as viewed in FIG. 3, while flap 56 is of uniform width throughout its length so that it overlies the flap 19 by which end wall 12 is secured to side wall 11. In all other respects the flaps 55 and 56 are constructed and secured to the side wall 11 and bottom pieces 14, 16 and 17 in a manner similar to that described with respect to the flaps 45, 45 and the end wall 10 and bottom pieces 14, 15 and 16.

It will be understood from the foregoing that the two separate containers integrally connected into a unitary carton, may both be filled and closed by their covers and utilized as a single unitary container for shipment of the contents thereof. As a result of the construction and arrangement of the parts in the container of this invention, it has been found that the carton requires a minimum of material without sacrifice of strength, reduces to a minimum the amount of paper wasted in manufacturing the same, and provides considerable savings in labor and factory operations.

In the use of the carton, the hingement of the two covers at the ends thereof makes for easy access to its two cornpartments and the ready opening and closing of such compartments. In the closed condition of the covers, the snug fit of the flanges thereof between the partitions 25, 26 and in the slots 43 will effectively lock them in such condition until positively moved to open position. The construction and arrangement of the partitions and bottom of the carton and the holes provided inthe side and end walls and the covers provides adequate ventilation for each of the compartments. The side and top flanges of the covers also assure that adequate air space will be provided at the ends of the carton as well as the sides in the stacked condition of the carton during shipment and storage. The cover flanges also rigidify the box against damage during handling. The manner in which the paper board is utilized in the carton to provide vertical ridges on all sides and in the partitions, and the further rigidification of the sides and bottom of the carton by the additional aps, reinforces the carton to such extent that it can withstand the relatively rough handling and substantial stacking it will be subjected to during its transportation in ships between countries.

In the event it is desired to make the single unitary container into two separate containers either at the place of shipment, or at the place of delivery, this may readily be accomplished by cutting the side walls and 11 and the bottom pieces and 17 between the partitions 25 and 26. When such cut is made, there will result two separate, complete, sturdily constructed containers each capable of holding one half the quantity of product capable of being held by the unitary container from which they were formed.

While I have hereinabove described and illustrated in the drawings, preferred embodiments of my improved carton, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A unitary carton comprising a body blank having the four upright walls of said carton integrally and hingedly connected in a row, in alternate, end-to-end relation, and having a securing flap integrally and hingedly connected to the outer side edge of one of the two terminal walls v in said row, means xedly securing said flap to the outer side edge of the other of the two terminal walls in said row, and said body blank having a row of four bottom pieces adjoined to said row of upright walls, each of said bottom pieces being hingedly connected to the bottom edge of an upright wall, and said bottom pieces being arranged in two parallelly disposed pairs with one pair in transverse overlapping relation to the other pair to form the bottom of the carton, means securing said bottom pieces together, two partitions located in spaced relation centrally of one pair of opposed upright walls and each having side flaps overlying the interior surfaces of said opposed walls, means securing said side flaps to said opposed walls to make said partitions the adjacent upright walls of two divisible cartons forming said unitary carton, two covers hingedly connected to the top edges of the other pair of opposed upright walls and each having an end flange insertable into the space between said partitions and side flanges connected at their outer ends to the ends of said end flange and overlying the exterior surfaces of said one pair of oppos'ed upright walls, the upper edges of said one pair of opposed upright walls being slotted to permit the connected ends of said end flange to extend therethrough, and the portions of said one pair of opposed walls and of one pair of said bottom pieces between said partitions being severable to enable the unitary carton to be transformed into two separate complete cartons, each of said upright walls, said partitions and said covers being provided with ventilation openings, and said bottom pieces having dimensions in directions extending from their hinged connections to said upright walls less than the dimensions of the bottom in their directions of extension so that the bottom of the carton has a ventilation opening extending transversely of the space between said partitions, whereby the divisible cartons are completely ventilatable when combined as in the unitary carton and as separate cartons.

2. A unitary carton comprising a body blank having the four upright walls of said carton integrally and hingedly connected in a row, in alternate, end-to-end relation, and having a securing flap integrally and hingedly connected to the outer side edge of one of the twoter- `rninal walls in said row, means xedly securing said llap to the outer side edge of the other of the two terminal walls in said row, and said body blank having a row of four bottom pieces adjoined to said row of upright walls, each of said bottom pieces being hingedly connected to the bottom edge of an upright wall, and said bottom pieces being arranged in two parallelly disposed pairs with one pair in transverse overlapping relation to the other pair to form the bottom of the carton, means securing said bottom pieces together, two partitions located in spaced relation centrally of one pair of opposed upright walls and each having side flaps overlying the interior surface of said opposed walls, means securing said side flaps to said opposed walls to make said partitions the adjacent upright walls of two divisible cartons forming said unitary carton, two covers hingedly connected to the top edges of the other pair of opposed upright walls and each having an end flange insertable into the space between said partitions and side flanges connected at their outer ends to the ends of said end flange and overlying the exterior surfaces of said one pair of opposed upright walls, the upper edges of said one pair of opposed upright walls being slotted to permit the connected ends of said end ange to extend therethrough, and the portions of said one pair of opposed walls and of one pair of said bottom pieces between said partitions being severable to enable the unitary carton to be transformed into two separate complete cartons, said partitions rbeing separate from each other and being provided along their bottom edges with anges extending in opposite directions over and being seclured to said one pair of bottom pieces.

3. A unitary carton comprising a body blank having the four upright walls of said carton integrally and hingedly connected in a row, in alternate, end-to-end relation,` and having a securing flap integrally and hingedly connected to the outer side edge of one of the two terminal walls in said row, means iixedly securing said flap to the outer side edge of the other of the two terminal walls in said row, and said body blank having a row of `four bottom pieces adjoined to said row of upright walls, each of said bottom pieces being hingedly connected to the bottom edge of an upright wall, and said bottom pieces being arranged in two parallelly disposed pairs with one pair in transverse overlapping relation to the other pair to form the bottom of the carton, means securing said bottom pieces together, two partitions located in spaced relation centrally of one pair of opposed upright walls and each having side flaps overlying the interior surfaces of said opposed walls, means securing said side flaps to said opposed walls to make said partitions the adjacent upright walls of two divisible cartons forming said unitary carton, two covers hingedly connected to the top edges of the other pair of opposed upright walls and each having an end flange insertable into the space between said partitions and side flanges connected at their outer ends to the ends of said end flange and overlying the exterior surfaces of said one pair of opposed upright walls, the upper edges of said one pair of opposed upright walls being slotted to permit the connected ends of said end flange to extend therethrough, and the portions of said one pair of opposed walls and of one pair of said bottom pieces between said partitions being severable to enable the unitary carton to be transformed into two separate complete cartons, each of said one pair of opposed upright walls having integrally and hingedly connected to the top edge thereof a pair of tlaps overlying the interior surfaces thereof, the adjacent side edges of said aps overlying and being secured to the partition side anges engaging such upright wall, said securing flap being hingedly connected to a side edge of one of said other pair orf opposed upright walls and being secured to the edge of one of said one pair of opposed upright walls, one of the flaps connected to the top edge of said one of said one pair of walls having such width as to enable it to overlie and cover said securing ap and an associated partition side flange.

4. A unitary carton comprising a body blank having the four upright walls of said carton integrally and hingedly connected in a row, in alternate, end-to-end relation, and having a securing ap integrally and hingedly connected to the outer side edge of one of the two terminal walls in said row, means flxedly securing said ap to the outer side edgeof the other of the two terminal Walls in said row, and said body blank having a row of four bottom pieces adjoined to said row of upright walls, each of said bottom pieces being hingedly connected to the bottom edge of an upright wall, and said bottom pieces being arranged in two parallelly disposed pairs with one pair in transverse overlapping relation to the other pair to form the bottom of the carton, means securing said bottom pieces together, two partitions located in spaced relation centrally of one pair of opposed upright walls and each having side flaps overlying the interior surfaces of said opposed Walls, means securing said side flaps to said opposed walls to make said partitions the adjacent upright walls of two divisible cartons forming said unitary carton, two covers hingedly connected to the top edges of the other pair of opposed upright walls and each having an end flange insertable into the space between said partitions and side ilanges connected at their outer ends to the ends of said end ange and overlying the exterior surfaces of said one pair of opposed upright walls, the upper edges of said one pair of opposed upright walls being slotted to permit the connected ends of said end flange to extend therethrough, and the portions of said one pair of opposed walls and of one pair of said bottom pieces between said partitions being severable to enable the unitary carton to be transformed into two separate complete cartons, each of said one pair of opposed upright walls having integrally and hingedly connected to the top edge thereof a pair of flaps overlying the interior surfaces thereof, the adjacent side edges of said flaps overlying and being secured to the partition side anges engaging such upright wall, said aps having a length greater than the height of said one pair of opposed upright walls, and being creased at a distance from their hinged connections to such upright walls substantially equal to such height to provide end portions overlying and secured to said bottom pieces.

5. A unitary carton comprising a body blank having the four upright walls of said carton integrally and hinged- 1y connected in a row, in alternate, end-to-end relation,

- and having a securing at integrally and hingedly connected to the outer side edge of one of the two terminal walls in said row, means ixedly securing said flap to the outer side edge of the other of the two terminal walls in said row, and said body 'blank having a row of four bottom pieces adjoined to said row of upright walls, each of said bottom pieces being hingedly connected to the bottom edge of an upright wall, and said bottom pieces being arranged in two parallelly disposed pairs with one pair in transverse overlapping relation to the other pair to form the bottom of the carton, means securing said bottom pieces together, two partitions located in spaced relation centrally of one pair of opposed upright walls and each having side flaps overlying the interior surfaces of said opposed walls, means securing said side flaps to said opposed walls to make said partitions the adjacent upright walls of two divisible cartons forming said unitary carton, two covers hingedly connected to the top edges of the other pair of opposed upright walls and each having an end flange insertable into the space between said partitions and side anges connected at their outer ends to the ends of said end tlange and overlying the exterior surfaces of said one pair of opposed upright walls, the upper edges of said one pair of opposed upright walls being slotted to permit the connected ends of said end ange to extend therethrough, and the portions of said one pair of opposed walls and of one pair of said bottom pieces between said partitions being severable to enable the unitary carton to be transformed into two separate complete cartons, said body blank and said covers being made of a stiff paper board composed of a central corrugated layer of paper material sandwiched between two plain layers of such material, the paper board for said body blank being cut so that the corrugations in the board provide vertical ridges in all of the upright walls, and the corrugations in the covers extending at right angles to the hinged connection thereof, the anges on said covers being composed of a plurality of layers of said paper board.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,297,982 l0/ 1942 Potts 229-15 2,690,287 9/ 1954 Erskine et al 229-45 2,990,995 7/ 1961 Wessell 229-34 '2,994,468 8/ 1961 George et al. 229-45 3,069,065 12/ 1962 Bebout et al 229-45 3,101,880 8/1963 Peterson. 3,361,324 1/ 1968 Crisafulli 229-45 XR 3,369,728 2/1968 Royce 229-45 XR 3,392,904 7/1968 Wei 229-33 DAVIS T. MOOREHEAD, Primary Examiner Y U.S. Cl. X.R.

CERTUICA FL O1* CORRLCIION Patent No. 3,522,905 Dated August il, 1970 1nventor(s) Chung C Wei It is certified tht error appears :ln the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column l, line 27, "kown" should be known.

Column 2, line l-L, after "side" --andyshould be inserted.

Column 6, line 2M, "seclured" should 'be -SeCured-.

SIGNED-.ANU

om) Attest:

Edward -Flwhmh l mm I. SGEUYIIER, JR. Anesting Offif i dominion or Patonts 

